Deck-edge elevator



J. DUNLOP DECK-EDGE ELEVATQR Filed Dec. s, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- J'amesDun/op.

- ATQRNEY I S E S S E N H W Oct. 8, 1946. J. DUNLOP DECK-EDGE ELEVATOR Filed Dec. 6, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 IBM AT RNEY Oct. 8,1946. J. DUNLOP S I 8,

DECK-EDGE ELEVATO l WA fig: /0.

" ,45/ v WITNESSES: 150 INVENTOR Oct. 8, 1946. J. DUNLOP 2,408,759 I DECK-EDGE ELEVATOR Filed Dec. 6 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 WITNESSES:

/3- A RNEY- I '2; Y IINVENTOR famesflun/op.

Patented Oct. 8, 1946 James Dunlop, Ridgewood, N. J., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Westinghouse Electric J Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa a of Pennsylvania corporation Application December 6, 1943,.Serial No. 513,029

My improvement relates to deck-edge elevators and, more particularly, to means for folding and stowing the platforms of such elevators.

Where deck-edge elevators are used on airplane-carrier ships for transferring airplanes from one deck to another, they aremounted'on the outer side of the ship in alignment with an opening therein to the main deck and are movable up and down on the side of the ships to serve the main decks and the flight decks. A deck-edge elevator of this type is very large and extends outwardly from theship hull to such an extent "as to prevent the ship on which it'is mounted from going through narrow openings through which it could easily pass if it were not for the elevator.

One object of my invention is to provide edge elevator in which the platform may be easily folded, raised and stowed in such position as to tak up a small amount of room on the side of the ship well above its waterline and thereby permit it to pass through narrow; openings.

Another object is to provide a means for folding a deck-edge elevator against the side of a ship and to raise the folded platform into a high position on the side of the ship so that it will be in a-stowed position out of the way of the walls of any look through which the ship may pass.

4 A further object is to provide a mechanism and control system for effecting the raising and stowing of a deck-edge elevator platform without rendering it liable to injury due to the effect of wind or wave upon the surface of the platform or to any rolling of the ship on which the elevator is mounted.

It'is also an objectof my invention to provide a deck-edge elevator folding and stowing, mechanism which may be easily and inexpensively manufactured, installed, operated and maintained in operation.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of my improved deck-edge elevator with part ofthe upper deck cut awayto disclose the hoisting and stowing apparatus; v

Fig, 2 is a diagrammatic representation in end elevation of the deck-edge elevator illustrated in. Fig. 1, with the elevator in position to be stowed and with itsnormal lowermost position indicated a deck- 2,. with the elevator 19 Claims. (Ci. 1 876) I cross-section;

platform folded and raised to its stowing position;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of one pair of the guiding rollers mounted in the edge of the flight deck in their activeposition for guiding the edge of the folded part of the platform of the elevator in a stowing operationj Fig. 6 is a View taken on the line VIVI of Fig. 5; I

Fig. 7 is atop plan-view of the guiding rollers illustrated in Fig. 5, the casing in which they are mounted and the; mechanism for operating them, the cover plate being removed and one of the rollers and walls around it being shown in Fig. 8-is a view taken on the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7 with the cover raised and with one crank arm in its high position;

Fig. 9 is a View taken on the line I;

7; d J Fig.- 10 is Fig. '7 illustrating anarm and lever for opening a switch to prevent operation of the stowing and snubbing Winches, while the guide rollers are not IX of in position for service; 7 r

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with 'stowing struts substituted for the Snubbing cables; and

Fig. 12 is a view'similar to Fig. 4 with stowing struts substituted for the snubbing cables,

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 44, I have illustrated a deck-edge elevator comprising an elevator platform I!) disposed between a pair of guide rails II and I2 mounted on the outer side of a ship hull l3 by a plurality of brackets 14 for serving a main deck I5 and a flight deck 16. A plurality of rollers mounted on the ends of the platform in'position to engageve rtical guiding slots/l8 and [8a in the sides ofv the guide rails facing each other for guiding the platform as it is raised or lowered and for maintaining its base in right-angle relationto the hull of the ship.

A plurality of hoisting cables [9 and-20 operated by a hydraulic hoistingengine 2| are pro-. vided for supporting the platform and for raising and lowering it. The hydraulic. engin comprises a singlecylinder 22vmounted in a horizontal position on a frame orengine bed 23 and a power plunger 24 disposed in the cylinder. The

outer end of the plunger is provided with a power thereby operating the hoisting cables to raise a view taken on the line X-X of and lower the platform. The plunger is designed for operation by a suitable hydraulic medium, such as oil, placed under pressure by any suitable equipment (not shown), and is controlled by a valve 2! operated by a valve motor 21a through a gear box 211). A hand-operative device 210 is provided for controlling the valve 21 by hand when it is desired to use hand control instead of motor control for the engine. The hand drive box is so arranged that opening its cover for operation disconnects the motor and mechanically connects the hand drive gears for operating the valve. When the hand box is closed, the hand wheel is disengaged and the motor is again electrically connected for operation.

The cables I9 are secured to the aft end of the platform (Fig. 4) by suitable hitches 23 mounted thereon and pass upwardly and over an idler sheave 29 fastened to the ship structure underneath the overhanging portion of the flight deck, thence rearwardly over a second idler sheave 39 mounted on the ship frame inside the hull, thence downwardly and under a deflector sheave 3| mounted on the engine bed 23, thence around a stationary sheave 32 mounted on the engine bed at the rear of the engine, thence around one of the power sheaves 26, and thence to a plurality of hitches mounted on the underside of the engine cylinder but not shown in the drawings.

The hoisting cables at the fore end of the platform are secured to the platform by suitable cable hitches 35 mounted thereon and pass upwardly and over an idler sheave 35 fastened to the ship structure underneath the overhanging portion of the flight deck, thence rearwardly over a second idler sheave 36 mounted on the ship frame inside the hull, and thence downwardly and under a deflector sheave 31 mounted on the right-hand end of the engine bed, thence under and over one of the power sheaves 26 in the plunger head, and thence to suitable deadend hitches 58 secured to the upper rear part of the engine.

Normally, the platform It! remains in its horizontal position on the side of the ship during practically all of the activities of the ship. At times, however, it i necessary for the ship to pass through very narrow waterways or the locks of canals which are too narrow to admit the ship with the elevator platform riding in its normal horizontal position on the side of the ship. This will be understood when it is realized that some deck-edge elevator platforms extend outwardly from the ship for a distance of thirtyfour feet. Therefore, in order to permit the stowing of the elevator so that it will not prevent the ship from moving through narrow places, I have constructed the platform as a base section 39 and an outboard section 40 attached thereto by a hinged joint 4! and a stowing means for folding the outboard section into a vertical position parallel with its side of the ship and for then raising both sections as a unit high above the water line of the ship.

The base section 39 is constructed of high tensile steel tubing, structural steel and steel plate welded together in bridge-like construction to form a relatively light, but strong, frame upon which any suitable flooring 44 may be laid. The outboard section 40 is provided with a" suitable flooring 45 mounted upon a frame 46 constructed of high tensile steel tubing, structural steel and steel plate welded together in bridge-like construction. The lower outboard face of the base section 39 is constructed with an outwardly projecting face 39a to receive a downwardly receding face 46a on the folding platform section below the hinged joint and thereby form a firm seat for the outboard section 49 which will help support it when it is in its horizontal position. A plurality of bolts 42 may be used to connect the adjacent faces into a structurally integral frame when the platform is in normal use and a plate Ma is disposed over the hinge 4| to provide a smooth tracking surface for the airplanes when they move thereon. The plate Ma and the bolts 42 are removed when the platform is to be stowed.

Each of the guide rails H and i2 is provided with an upwardly slanted tooth 48 in position to be engaged by a stowing pawl 49 to hold the elevator safely and firmly in its stowed position after it is moved thereto. The pawls 49 are provided with suitable weights 5! for biasing them into position to engage the teeth 48 so that they will slide over the teeth when the elevator is moved up to its final stowing position and then catch on the teeth as the elevator comes to rest and hold it firmly in it stowed position. Bolts 52 may be provided for holding the pawls 49 out of their tooth engaging position while the elevator is in normal operation.

Each of the guide rails is also provided with an upwardly slanting tooth 53 in position to be engaged by the stowing pawls 49 when it is desired to raise the platform slightly and rest it temporarily in a stationary position which will permit the attendants to have ready access to certain part of the elevator in preparing it for stowing operation.

Each of the guide rails is further provided with a downwardly slanting tooth 54 at the limit of normal up travel of the platform in position to be engaged by a limit pawl 55 on the base section of the elevator. A spring 55a, is provided for biasing the pawl 55 into position to engage the tooth 54 when the platform reaches the upper limit to which it is normally raised and thereby provide a safety means for preventing over-raising of the elevator.

A pair of stowing cables 56 and 51 and a winch 58 are provided for raising or folding the outboard section 49 when the elevator platform is to be stowed high on the side of the ship. The stowing cable 56 ha its inner end secured to a winding drum 59 on the winch 58 and then passes over that drum, under an idler sheave 90, around an idler sheave El (Fig. 1) and over a deflecting sheave 62 to a shackle 63 by means of which it may be connected to or disconnected from the outer edge of the-folding platform near the lefthand end thereof.

The stowing cable 5! is fastened at its inner end to the hoisting drum 59 of the winch 58 and then passes over that drum, over an idler sheave 65, around a deflecting sheave 65 and over a sheave 61 to a shackle 68 by means of which it may be easily attached to or detached from the outer edge of the platform near its right-hand end. With this construction, the rotation of the drum in one direction will maintain an equal pull on the hoisting cables 56 and 51 to raise the outer end of the outboard section 48, so that it pivots around its hinge joint 4| and moves into approximately a vertical position.

The drum 59 on the winch 58 is connected by suitable speed reducing gears and pinions 10, ll, 12, 13, 14 and to a two-speed motor 16, the operation of which may be controlled by suitable switching means mounted in a control station 18 disposed in a convenient position on the main deck I5. A suitable brake I1 is mounted on the motor I6 for holdingit in any desired position. Thewinch 58 and its motor I6 are mounted inside the ship on a suitable platform I9 attached to the frame of the ship.-

' Inasmuch as the folding section 40 is very large (possibly as much as 26 feet wide and 60 feet long), it presents a very large area against which the wind or waves may at times exert considerits horizontal position to its vertical position or from its vertical to its horizontal position during stowing operations.

The snubbing means comprises a snubbing winch 80 and a pair of snubbing cables 8| and 82 operated thereby. The winch 80 is mounted on the platform I9 adjacent to the stowing winch 58. The snubbing cable 8| is fastened at its inner end to a drum 83 on the winch 80 and passes over that drum, under an idler sheave 84, over an idler sheave 85, under an idler sheave 86 and an idler sheave 81 to a shackle 88 bymeans of which it may be connected to or disconnected from the lower edge of the outboard section frame 46 at the joint II and near the left-hand end of the frame.

The snubbing cable 82 is fastened at its inner end to the drum 83 and passes over it, over an idler sheave 90, over an idler sheave 9|, under an idler sheave 92 and an idler sheave 93 to a shackle 94 by means of which it may be connected to or disconnected from the lower edge of the outboard section frame 46 at the joint 4| and near the right-hand end of the frame.

The drum 83 is connected for operation by a snubbing motor 96 through pinions 91, 98, 99 and I00. A suitable brake IN is mounted on the motor 96 to hold it in any desired position. The snubbing motor 96 may be any suitable torque motor the torque of which may be increased when desired and it may be controlled by a suitable switching means disposed at the control station I8 on the main deck. The winch and the motor are mounted on the platform "I9 in the rear of the stowing winch 58;

A suitable cat-walk indicated by the line I02" is disposed at each end of the platform base to enable attendants to remove the bolts 42 and 52 to release the folding platform and the pawls 49 upon preparing to start a stowing operation of.

the platform and replace them when returning the platform to its normal position after it has been in stowed condition.

A pair of guiding rollers I03 and I04 are provided in the edge of the flight deck adjacent-to the left-hand end of the platform and .a pair of guiding rollers I05 and. I06 are provided in the edge of the flight deck adjacent to the righthand of the platform (Fig. 1) for guiding the folding platform during its vertical movements. The rollers I03 and I04 are slidably disposed in a casing I08 mounted in the'deck edge and flush therewith at the left-hand end of the elevator. The rollers I05-and I06 are slidably disposed in a casing I09 mounted in the flightdeck at the;

reducing gears and 6 rlght-hand-end theelevator and flush with thesurface of the deck." I e The casing I09 is mounted in the flight deckin position approximately above the joint 4| (Fig. 1) so that, when the rollers I and I05 are in their outermost position and the folding platform is in its vertical position the roller I05 will serve as a stop and guide at the inner face of the platform edge IIO of the folding platform' (Figs; 5 and 6) and the roller I06 will serve' as a lock and guide for the oppositeside of the edge member H0 and both rollers thus serve to position and guide the platform in its vertical movement. Normally in a deck-edge elevator of this size the clearance between the rollers and the edge element of thefolding platformwil'l be approximately one and one-eighth inches, to take care of warpage or unequal length of the stow- Therefore, a cam III is'secured to lug cables. the inner face of the edge portion, I I0 ata point which will cause it to be introduced between the roller I05 and the edge portion when the platform is lifted to its stowed position, to take up nearly all the clearance so that a safe and. substantial fastening will be made to the platform in its-.final stowed position. At the aft edge of the folding platform, a similar .cam and the rollers I03 and I04 will guide the platform in the samemanner. 1:

In starting a stowing operation the guide roll-' ers I03 and I05 are first movedto their outer position, the folding platform is then raised against them so thatlthey act as" stopping rollers and then the guide roller I04 and I06 are moved outwardly to act as looking rollers to prevent the folding platform from moving outwardly. I

The casing I09 for the guide rollers I05 and I06 comprises a box-like casting (Figs. 7, 8, 9 and provided with a flange I I 3 by means of which it may be secured in its working position; A cover. plate I14 hinged on pins I I la is provided for protecting the contents of thecasing when not inuse. .When the cover is closed, it lies in a depressionindioated by the line II4b, Fig. .9. L; The roller I05 isrotatably mounted on the neck H5 ofa cylindrical shaft or body H6 by a disc II'I. held in position by a pair of machine screwsi I8. ,The body H6 is slidably disposed in a sleeve,- I mounted in'the casing I09 by means of a press fit. A, shaft guide I I9 is, mounted by a plurality of screws I I9a-on the casing in position to extend into; an axial slot H92) ,in the shaft II6 for preventing rotation of the shaft and for limiting its out movement-when it is operated to move the 1 guidefrol'lerinto and out of the casing.

In order that the roller I05 may be moved inwardly and outwardly easily, a shank member I2 Ij (Figs. 6, '7 and 8) is-bolted to the rear end of the, body He by bolts H2 and provided in its one sidewith a plurality of gear teeth I22 in position to engage'a gearwheel I23 fixed on a vertical shaft I24 rotatably mounted in the casing for operation by a crank arm I25 having a handle I126. The handlel-26 is slidably disposed in the 1 crank arm and provided with an enlarged head iizlby means of which it may be seized and pulled upwardly when it; is desired to'use it to operate the crank. An enlarged butt portion ,IZIa prevents it from being pulledout of the crank arm.

The roller'IilB is similarly-mounted on a body I28 provided with a shank member I29 which extends; re'arwardly and is provided with gearteeth I disposed to be engagedbya gear wheel I3 fixedpn a vertical shaft-;I32 rotatably mountedzin the casing I09. Agorank arm I3; is

fixed on the outer end of the shaft I 32. A handl I34 similar to the handle I21 is slidably disposed in the outer end of the crank arm I33 by means of which it may be raised to operate the crank arm. A locking block or projection I35 extends upwardly from the bottom of the casing and is provided with two holes I and I31 into which the lower ends of the sliding handles may be dropped when the guide rollers are in their non-use position in the casing. The projection with the holes serves to hold the operating arms and the rollers in their retired position and prevent the rollers from moving outwardly until the handles are withdrawn from the holes foruse in rotating the crank arms. Similarly, two holes Ia and I31d are provided in the casing into which the sliding handles may be dropped when the crank arms are moved to their outer positions so that the guide rollers may thereby be locked in their outermost positions.

It is necessary for the guide roller operating apparatus to lie beneath the level of the flight deck while not in use, and yet become available for operation by the attendants on the flight deck when a stowing operation is to be made. For this reason, the handles I26 and I34 are slidably mounted in the arms I25 and E33, so that they may be raised out of their holes I35 and I31 in the projection I35 when it is desired to turn the cranks and the crank arms are caused to move upwardly out'of the casing so that they will clear the surrounding mechanism as they start to rotate.

Therefore, the base of the crank arm I25 is provided with a cylindrical tooth like downward projection I38 concentric with the shaft I24, and havin a cam surface I39 on its lower face disposed to engage a cooperating cam surface I40 on a cylindrical-like body I4I which is concentric with the shaft I24 and which is moulded on a base support I42 secured to the casing I09 by a plurality of bolts I43. It will be observed that the k gear wheel I23 is of less width than the gear teeth 122 on the shank I2I, so that, as rotation of the cam face I39 by the crank arm I29 lifts the shaft I24 and the crank arm, the gear wheel I23 may slide upwardly on the gear teeth I22. The cam surfaces I39 and I40 are of such shape that the crank mechanism will rise sufficently toclear the edge of the box by the time it moves in counterclockwise direction (Fig. 7) to the side of the box. Each of the crank arms for the guide rollers is provided with a similar cam mechanism to raise it out of the box as it is operated to move its roller outwardly. The weight of the crank mechanism will cause it to return to its position in the casing a; it is operated to return its guide roller to its inner position in the casing or it maybe pushed down by hand.

A switch box I45 (Figs. 8, 9 and 10) is mounted on the central floor portion of the casing and provided with a switch arm I41 by which a switch in the box may be operated to open a portion of the control circuit to prevent operation of the valve motor 21a to operate the valve on the hydraulic engine when any one of the guide rollers is in position for starting a stowing operation; that is, the main valve motor can not be used unless all of the guide rollers are in their retired positions and will offer no obstruction to the normal operation of the elevator. The cover I45a is fastened on the switch box by a pair of bolts I 58 and a waterproof gasket MM is disposed between the cover and the box to prevent the entry of moisture into the box.

The means for operating the switch arm I41 comprises a floating lever I operated by the shanks on the guide rollers I05 and I06, abell crank lever I5I operated by the floating lever, and a crank arm I52 operated by the bell crank lever for operating the switch arm I41. The floating lever I 50 is loosely seated upon a pair of projection I54 and I55 extending upwardly from the bottom of the casing. The ends of the floating love;- are bent downwardly and disposed in engagement with the rear ends of the shanks I29 and I2I attached to the guide rollers I05 and I06, so that movement of either one or both of th shanks will cause a corresponding movement of the floating lever.

A hearing pin I51 for the bell crank I5I extends upwardly from projection I55 on the base I09 through a lateral slot I58 in the floating lever. The slot I58 is of such ize that its sides will not touch the pin at any time. The bell crank lever I5! rests on the floating lever with its hub on the pin I51 and with the outer end of its arm I59 connected to the floating lever by a pivot pin I; whereby rearward or forward movement of the floating lever causes a corresponding movement of the bell crank on its pin and thus moves its arm I 66 for operating the crank arm I52 to rotate the switch arm I41.

A compression spring I 63 is provided for biasing the switch arm I41 and the crank arm I52 to open switch position, and to also bias the bell crank lever to keep the floating lever in constant engagement with the shanks on the guide rollers, regardless of the position of the guide rollers. The spring I 63 is mounted between a lug I64 on the crank arm I52 and a lug I55 mounted in a support l65 attached to the casing. The lug IE5 is provided with a screw-threaded shank and nut E01 by means of which its position in the support I06 may be adjusted to place the spring I63 under such compression as is necessary to bias the switch operating mechanism to its open switch position, so that the switch will open when either or both guide rollers are moved outwardly for starting a stowing operation. The guide rollers I 03 and 04 are provided with a similar operating mechanism and switch.

A bumper block I69 for acting as a bumper to limit the fore movement of the folding platform when it is between the guide rollers is mounted in the central portion of the casing I09 by means of a'bolt 10 in position adjacent to the edge I l I of the folding platform. A plurality of shims I 'II are disposed back of the bumper block for the purpose of adjusting its position relative to the platform. The clearance between the bumper and the edge of the platform must be held to rather perfect dimensions, and shims such as those shown should be used to secure exactly the predetermined clearance. A similar bumper block is mounted in a similar manner in the casin I08 for the guide rollers 503 and H34 at the aft end of the elevator (Fig. l) for limiting the movement of the folding platform at that end of the elevator while it is in its vertical position.

The control station 18 is provided with a main master controller I14 for connecting the control station to the main control circuit, a stowing controller 15 for controlling the stowing motor 15, a snubber controller E15 for controlling the snubber motor 96, a master controller I11 for conditioning the 'stowing controller and the snubber controller to operate individually or to prevent their individual operation and connect them for simultaneous operation by means of a combination controller E18. provided with a handle I15 is also mounted on the The hand control 210' .a. few inches ofits final control station 18 for operating the engine valve 21 by hand when his desired to operate itin that manner instead of by using thevalve motor 21a.v

, The control system for the stowing motor and :theisnubbing motor also includes a limit switch 'I8I mounted on the stowing winch 58 and a limit switch I82 mounted .on the snubbin winch 50 (Fig.1). The limit switch IBI may beconnected in any suitable manner to the operated mechanism for the drum 59-as by a pinion I83 disposed inmeshwiththe gear wheels 10 or by any suitable sprocket and chain attachment so that it will be operated to change the stowing motor from its high speed. to its low speed when the stowing winch has pulledthe platform to within folded positoin. The stowing motor remains energized after the folding platform is brought to rest against the inner guide rollers. This serves to prevent bounce or pounding and facilitates thepositioning of the outer guide rollers'byhand. The limit switch I8I should also be provided with contacts which will deenergize-the motor and prevent ,overwinding when the stowing cables are released from the platform and rewound on the stowing winch. The limit switch I8I should be adjusted in accordance with thelength of the hoisting cables wound on thedrum 59 when the folding platform is moved by the stowing winch from its horizontal position to its vertical position. Inasmuch as limit switches of this type are old and wellknown, the details are not given.

The limit switch.l82 for thesnubbing motor is similarly connected-to the snubbing drum 83 and provided with switches for increasing the torque of the motor 96 when the folding platform reaches a zone of a few inches from its final folded position and to deenergize the snubbing motor whenthe. folding platform completes its folding motion. The limit switch I82 should also be provided with contacts for deenergizing the snubbing motor upon a rewindingioperation to prevent operation of the snubbing winch when the snubbing cable is rewound thereon after being detached from the platform. The'brakes11 and IOI on the motors-16 and 96 should be so connected for operation that they will be applied to hold the motors in any position in which they are deenergized.

The invention may be better understood by an assumed. operation of the apparatus described.

In preparing to place the elevator inits stowed position, the attendant adjacent to the guide rollers I and I06 raises the lid II4 on the casing I09 and then grasps the handle I26 by its head I21 and raises it upwardly out of its hole I31 into a position where it clears the projection I35 and can beiused to rotate the crank arm I25. It will be assumed now-that the attendant rotatesthe crank arm I25 in counterclockwise direction (Figs. 1 and 8) Thisdirection of rotation causes teeth I22 and thereby move the shank I2I outwardly and with itthe body. I I5 mounted on the shank and the roller I05 mounted on the body. 'When the arm I25 reaches its'final out position,

the roller I05 is in its outermost position and ready for service, first as a stopping roller as the the cam tooth I38 to ride upwardly on the cam gear wheel I23 disposed in mesh with the gear Atthis point,

the guide rails.

platform 40 reaches its vertical position and then as a guide roller for the right-hand end of the elevator platform 40 (Fig. 1) as it moves vertically;- In like manner, the attendant adjacent the guiding rollers I03 and I04 at the opposite end of the platform operates the mechanism for the guide roller I03 to move it outwardly into its stopping and guiding position.

s The outward movement of the shank I2I, while theroller IE5 is being placed in service as a guide releases the floating lever I50 to move forward with the shank and thus operate the arm I59 on the bell crank I5I to move its arm I6I away from the switch crank arm I52, so that the energy stored in the compression spring I63 now operates the crank arm I52 to rotate the switch arm I53to open the circuit represented by the conductors L+ and L- to the valve motor 21a. on the hydraulic engine. Hence as long as the guide roller I05 is not in its retired position, the valve motor cannot be operated to raise or lower the elevator and the hand control 210 must be used for that purpose. The use of the valve motor causes the engine to operate the elevator at a very rapid rate-which would be dangerous in stowing, but the hand control may be very slow ,their withdrawn position adjacent to the sheaves 62, 61, 86 and 92. The hand control 210 is now operated to actuate the valve 21 and thereby cause the hoisting engine 2I to raise the elevator slowly to a position Where the catwalks represented by the line I02 (Fig. 2) are practically level with the hanger deck I5. The attendants now remove the bolts 42 on the joint II and. the bolts 52 on the stowing pawls 49 to release the pawls. The hand control 21c is now operated to cause the hoisting engine to lower the elevator very slowly until the stowing-pawls 49 rest on the stowing stops 53 on The stowing cable shackles 63 and 68 are now unlashed and run out and attached to the outboard edge oi the foldingplatform 40. The snubber shackles 88 and 9 4 are run out and attached to the lowermost edgeat the base of the folding platform 40. In connecting the shackles to their points of attachment, the stowing cables and the snubbing cables will acquire some slack. The master controller I11 is in its independent position, permitting independent operation of the stowing controller andthe snubbing controller. In order to take up the slack in the cables, the stowing motor-is operated individually by its controller I151 to rotate themotor 16 to, take up the slack'in the stowing cables. Likewise, the snubber controller H6 is operated individually to cause the winch motor 96 to take up the slack in the snubbing cables. ,7 Care should betaken to see I that, the two; stowing cables have equal tension and that thetwo snubber cables have equal tension.

11 "The folding platformti' is now ready to be to its'vertical position and itwill be assumed that the master switch Ill is moved to its combination position in which it prevents individual operation of the stowing controller or the snubber controller and causes the combination controller HS, when operated, to control the stowin motor and the snubbing motor simultaneously for raising the folding platform fill to its vertical position or for lowering it from that position. The energized motors now start and operatathe stowing winch 58 winding up the stowing cables 56 and to pull upward on the outer end of the folding platform and the snubbing winch 53-6 pulling backward on the snubbing 1.

cables 88 and 32 to effect a dragging action on the folding platform, thus permitting it to move upward steadily but prevent it from being slammed against the side of the'ship by either rollin of the ship or by wind or the waves. As

the platform if swings upwardly on its hinge 41,

it assumes the position shown inFig. 3. When it is raised approximately 70 from its horizontal position, the limit switch !82 on the snubbing Winch 86 operates to so change the electrical connections for the snubbing motor as to increase its retarding torque and thereby supply anincreased amount of resistance to the effect of wind or waves tending to slam the platform against the ship.

' As the folding platform reaches a position approximately four inches from its actual stowed position, the limit switch i8! upon the stowing winch ii}; is actuated to change the stowing motor from its high speed to its low speed connection and thus decrease the speed of movement of the folding platform toward the guiding rollers E63 and H in the edge of the flight deck. As the folding platform reaches a position of approximately three inches from the guide rollers Hi3 and 555, the limit switch 83 decreases the slow speed of the hoist motor so that under the increased snubbing effect of the snubbing motor and the decreased hoisting effect of the stowing motor, the platform is slowly pulled up against the stowing guide rollers Hi3 and i 05.

With the folding platform in its vertical position, the attendant adjacent the guide roller I86 raises the handle I353 from its hole 136 in the casing we and rotates the arm I33 in its clockwise direction (Figs. '7 and 8) thereby moving the guide roller tilt into the position indicated in Fig. 5 alongside the edge HE! of the folding platform. When the roller 1% is in its outermost position, the handle I34 is dropped into the hole lSBa in'the casing to lock the roller in its out position. The roller ms is likewise moved forward to its guiding position close to the after end of the folding platform and the handle on its crank arm is dropped into its locking hole.

The master switch is now moved to its independent position thereby disconnecting the combination controller and conditioning the snubber controller and the stowing controller to be operated individually. The stowing controller and the snubbing controller are now operated individually to cause the stowing motor and the snubbing motor to slacken the stowing cables and'the snubber cables so that they will remain in slack condition during the remainder stowing operation.

With the folding platform disposed in its ver tical position and locked between the guide rollers and the stowing and snubbing cables in slack condition, the hand control 270 is now operated of the 12 to cause the hydraulic engine 2| to raise the elevator slowly until the catwalks are level with the main deck and the men on such catwalks can return to the main deck. The operation of the hand control is now resumed and the elevator is slowly raised until the stowing pawls 49 click over the stowing stops 48 on the guide rails II and i2. The hand control is'now reversed and the hydraulic engine permits the elevator to move downward slightly until its pawls 49 rest firmly on the stops 8 so that the elevator is now in its completely stowed position-with its folding portion raised and locked between its guide rails.

It will be recalled that cams H! are mounted on the inboard side of the fore and the aft edge elements of the folding platform in such position that they slide against the guide rollers 93 and W5 when the folding platform reaches its final stowed position and thereby take up practically all the clearance between the edge elements and the guide rollers to permit only a very limited movement'of the folding platform in its final stowed position so that it will be practically unaffected by wind or wave or the rolling of the ship.

In removing the elevator from its stowed condition and returning it to its normal operating condition, the previously described steps are reversed and, therefore, no detailed. operation of this action will be given. 1

Referring now to Figs. 11 and 12, at times it may be desirable to stow the elevator platform at the flight deck, that is, with the floor 44 of the base section 39 level with the floor on the flight deck it. In this high stowing position of the platform the use of the snubbing cables would be inconvenient and awkward and the guide rollers I03, etc., could not be used. Therefore I have provided a pair of stowing struts 2%", one at each end of the folding platform, for holding it in a near vertical position while it and the base platform 39 are being moved to their uppermost position where the. base is level with the flight deck and holding it in such position while it remains in its stowed position.

Each ofthe stowing struts 2l1l is provided with an outboard stowing base 202 and an inboard stowing base 283. connected to its outboard base by a pin 254 and a pin M35 is provided for hingedlyconnecting the inboard end of the strut to the inboard stowing base. The. struts are constructed with'adjustable parts so that they may be slightly lengthened or shortened to cooperate with each other.

In starting a high stowing operation of the elevator, each of the. struts 20| has its outboard base 282 bolted in place on the folding platform til as indicated in Fig. 11, and the body of the strut is disposed rearwardly towards its inboard stowing base 263. Then the elevator platform is raised by operation of the hand control device 21c andv allowed. to rest with its stowing pawls 49 disposed on the stowing teeth 53 to hold the platform firmly in its position for starting the folding movement of the foldingv platform 48, as previously .described.

The stowing cables 56 and 5.1.are next attached to the outer edge of thefolding platform 4!! and then drawn to taut condition as previously described. When the stowing struts are used the master controller is leftin its independent position so that the stowing motor may be operated individually by the stowing controller I15, and the snubbing' winch need not be used. Next the stowing controller is operated individually to The strut 20! is integrally .13 cause the stowing winch 58'to wind up thestowing cables and thus raise the folding platform 40 on its hinged joint 4| until it is approximately 70 from its horizontal position. This folding of the platform All on its hinge 4| moves the struts 20! until their inboard ends reach their inboard stowing bases 203. The strut whichfirst enters its inboard stowing. base is pinned therein by'its pivot pin 295 and thelength of the second strut ispadjusted until its locking pin 205 canbe used to .pin it in its inboard stowing base. With the struts securely fastened, the stowing motor is operated by the stowing controller H to slack off the stowing cables and they are then disconnected from their shackles (leaving the shackles attached to the platform 43 for use when returning the platform to its normal position) and the stowing'winch is operated to wind them up. The shackles should be lashed to the folding platform. I

The hand control 210 is now operated to move the elevator upward slowly until the floor of the base 39 is level with the night deck Hi. It will be necessary to have an attendant hold the limit pawls 55 away from the limit teeth 54 while the base 39 is moving past that section of the guide.

rails. The elevator is now stowed with the base 39 level with the flight deck and the struts 2M will maintain the folding platform in its approximately vertical position while the elevator remains stowed. When the elevator is to be removed from its stowed position, the foregoing operationis reversed but the attendants must see that the pawls 49 are held away from the ,stowing teeth ,48'when the platform is moveddown from its flight deck position to its stowing position on the teeth 53.

By the foregoing description of the apparatus and the operation thereof, it will be seen that I have provided a very efficient and inexpensive means for stowing a deck-edge elevator on the side of a ship so that the ship may pass through a narrow lock or other narrow place without damaging the'deck-edge elevator. It will also be evident that the apparatus although strong and sturdy is simple and inexpensive and easy to install and maintain in operation. 7,

Although I have illustrated only one embodiment and one modification of my invention, it is to be understood that many changes therein and other modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

U 1'; claim as my invention:

1. A deck edge'elevator deck and a lower deck on a shillcomprising, a pair of guide rails, means for mounting the guide railsv in vertical position onthe side of the ship, a platform base disposed between the guide rails forservingthe upper deck and the lower deck, a plurality of stowing teeth disposed-on the guide rails, a plurality of stowing pawls disposed on theplatform basefor engaging the teeth to rest and supportthe platform base in predetermined stowing positions, a folding platform hingedly mounted on the platform-base with its upper Sure-2. face normally disposed in the same plane as the platform base, a plurality of hoisting cables for the platform base, a=hydraulic engine for operatingthe hoisting cables to raise and lower the platform base, a valve for the engine, an electricrnotor for operating the valve, a hand cone" trolled device'for operating the valve gear means for connecting the handdevice'pr the-motor to.

the .valveto permit independent operationof the for an upper main movements and for hand device or the motor, a stowing winch for the folding; platform, a stowing motor for operating the stowing winch, a plurality of stowing cables attached to the stowing winch, a pluralitypf shackles for attaching the outer ends of the stowing cables to the outboard end of the folding platform, a snubbing winch for the folding platform, a snubbing motor for operating the snubbing winch, a plurality of snubbing cables attached to the snubbing winch, a plurality of shackles forattaching the outer ends of the snubbing cables to the lowermost base part of the folding platform, a plurality of guide rollers mountedon the flight, deck for engaging opposite sides of the fore and aft edge elements of the folding platform-for guiding it in its vertical maintaining it in itsapproximately'vertical position during stowing op- 'eration, individualmeans for moving the guide rollers intostowing service position and for retiring them from their service position to their non-service position when the elevator is in'normal operation, individual means for locking each guide roller in its non-service position, a stowing controller for operating the stowing motor, a snubbing controller for operating the snubbing motor, a combination controller for operating the stowing motor and the snubbing motor, whereby the folding platform may be raised from its horizontal position to approximately vertical position and the platform base bearing the folding platform in approximately vertical position may then be-raised by hand control to a predetermined stowing position adjacent the flight deck Y 2; A deck'edge elevator for an upper deck and a lower deck on a ship'comprising, a pair of guide railsdisposed on the side of the ship, a base platform disposed between the guide rails, a plurality of stowing teeth and stowing pawls cooperatively disposed on the base platform and the guide rails for supporting the base platform in predetermined stowing positions, a folding platform hingedly mounted on'the base platform with its upper surface normally disposed in the same plane as the base platform, a plurality of hoistingcables for the main platform, a hydraulic engine for operating the hoisting cables" to raise or lower the ,base platform,; a hand device the engine, a valve motor for controlling the engine, gear meansfor permitting control of the engine by operation of either the hand device or the valve motor, a stowing winch, a stowing motor for the StOWingwinch, a plurality of stowing cables attached :to the stowing winch for raising or: lowering the folding platform, a snubbing winch, a snubbing-motor for operating the snubbing Winch, .a plurality of.-;snubbing cables attached to the snubbing winch for effecting a drag on the folding platform, a plurality of guide roll-- ers mounted on the flight deck for engaging the fore and aft ends of the folding platform to guide it inits'vertical movements, means for moving the guide-rollers into stowing service position and for retiring them; from their service position'to their non-service position," a combination controller foroperating andmeans for controlling the valve motor, the stowing motor and the snubi bing motor whereby the folding platform may be raised, from its horizontal position to approxi v mat'ely vertical position and :the base platform bearing thelfolding platform in approximately vertical position mayithen be raised by hand control to a predetermined stowingposition adjacent the flight'deck.

for controlling 3. In a deck edge elevator for an upper deck and a lower deck on a ship, a pair of guide rails, an elevator platform for serving the upper deck and the lower deck, said platform having a base section disposed between the guide rails and an outboard folding section hingedly mounted on the base section, a plurality of stowing teeth and stowing pawls cooperatively disposed on the guide rails and base section to rest and support the platform in predetermined stowing positions, a plurality of hoisting cables for the base platform section, an engine for operating the hoisting cables in raising and lowering the platform, an electric motor for controlling the engine, a hand controlled device for controlling the engine, a stowing winch, a stowing motor for the stowing winch, a plurality of stowing cables attached to the stowing winch for raising and lowering the folding platform section on the base platform section, a snubbing winch, a snubbing motor for the snubbing winch, a plurality of snubbing cables connected to the snubbing winch and the folding platform for restraining its movement when operated by the stowing cables, a plurality of guide rollers mounted on the flight deck for engaging the fore and aft edges of the folding platform for guiding it in its vertical movements, individual means for moving the guide rollers into stowing service position and for retiring them from their service position to their non-service position, and means for controlling the control motor on the engine, the stowing motor and the snubbing motor, while the folding platform is raised or lowered on its base section, whereby the folding platform section may be folded against the ship and both sections then raised to stowing position.

4. In a deck edge elevator for an upper deck and a lower deck on a ship, a pair of guide rails, an elevator platform for serving the upper deck and the lower deck, said platform having a base section disposed between the guide rails and an outboard folding section hingedly mounted on the base section, a plurality of stowing teeth and stowing pawls cooperatively disposed on the guide rails and base section to rest and support the platform in predetermined stowing positions, a plurality of hoisting cables for the base platform section, an engine for operating the hoisting cables in raising and lowering the platform, an electric motor for controlling the engine, a hand controlled device for controlling the engine, a stowing winch, a stowing motor for the stowing winch, a plurality of stowing cables attached to the stowing winch for raising and lowering the folding platform section on the base platform section, a snubbing winch, a snubbing motor for operating the snubbing winch, a plurality of snubbing cables connected to the snubbing winch and the folding platform for restraining its movement when operated by the stowing cables, a. plurality of guide rollers mounted on the flight deck for engaging the fore and aft edges of the folding platform for guiding it in its vertical movements, means for moving the guide rollers into stowing service position and for retiring them from their service position to their non-service position, and means for controlling the motors, whereby the folding platform section may be folded against the ship and both sections then raised to stowing position.

5. In a deck edge elevator for an upper deck and a lower deck on a ship, a pair of guide rails, an elevator platform for serving the upper deck and. the lower deck, said platform having a base section disposed between the guide rails and an attached to the stowing winch for raising and.

lowering the folding platform section on the base platform section, a snubbing winch, a snubbing motor for operating the snubbing winch, a plurality of snubbing cables connected to the snubbing winch and the folding platform for restrain ing its movement when operated by the stowing cables, and a, plurality of guides mounted on the flight deck for engaging the fore and aft edges of the folding platform for guiding it in its vertical movements, whereby the folding platform section may be folded against the ship and both sections then raised to stowing position.

6. In a deck edge elevator for an upper deck and a lower deck on a ship, a pair of g uide rails, an elevator platform for serving the upper deck and the lower deck, said platform having a base platform section disposed between the guide rails and an outboard folding platform section hingedly mounted on the base section, a plurality of hoisting cables for the base platform section, an engine for operating the hoisting cables in raising and lowering the platform, a stowing winch, a plurality of stowing cables attached to the stowing winch for raising and lowering the folding platform section on the base platform section, a snubbing winch, a plurality of snubbing cables connected to the snubbing winch, manual means for connecting the snubbing cables to the folding platform for restraining its movement when operated by the stowing cables, a motor for operating the stowing win(& a motor for operating the snubbing winch, whereby the folding platform section may be raised to a near vertical position on the base platform section and both sections than raised as a unit to a stowing position, a plurality of struts, and means for mounting the struts between the folding platform section and the base platform section to brace the folding platform section in its near vertical position on the base platform position when they are to be moved to a higher stowing position.

'7. In a deck edge elevator for an upper deck and a lower deck on a ship, a pair of guide rails, an elevator platform for serving the upper deck and the lower deck, said platform having a base platform section disposed between the guide rails and an outboard folding platform section hingedly mounted on the base platform section, a plurality of hoisting cables for the base platform section, an engine for operating the hoisting cables in raising and lowering the platform, a stowing winch, a stowing cable attached to the stowing winch for rasing and lowering the folding platform section on the base platform section, a snubbing winch, a snubbing cable connected to the snubbing winch and the folding platform, section for restraining .its movement when operated by the stowing cable, and means for controlling the operation of the stowing winch and thesnubbing winch.

8. In a deck edge elevator for an upper deck and a lower deck on a ship, a pair of, guiderails,

- power 111631115.

9. In a deck edge elevator'for anupper deck on a lower deck on a ship, a pair of guide rails, an elevator platformvfor serving the upper deck and the lower deck, said platform having a base platform section disposed on the guide rails and a hinged platform section mounted on the base platform section, a stowing power means for swinging the hinged platform section from its approximately horizontal position to a near vertical position, a plurality of hoisting cables for the base platform section, anengine for operating the hoisting cables in raising and lowering the platform with the hinged platform section in either its horizontal position or its near. vertical positon, and gudes mounted on the upper deck for engaging the fore and aft edges of the hinged platform section to guide and maintain it in its approximately vertical position While it and the base platform section are being raised or lowered as a unit. r

10. In a deck edge elevator for an upper deck and a lower deck on a ship, a pair of guide rails, an elevator platform for serving the upper deck and the lower deck, said platform having a base section disposed on the guide rails and a hinged platform section mounted on the base section, a stowing power means for swinging the hinged platform section from its approximately horizontal position to a near vertical position, a, plurality of hoisting cables for the base section, an engine for operating the hoisting cables in raising the base section with the hinged platform section in either its horizontal position or its near, vertical position until the base section is approximately level with the upper deck, a plurality of struts, and means for mounting the struts between the base section and the hinged platform section while it is in its near vertical position to brace the hinged platform section on the base section while they are being raised or lowered as a unit and while they are in top stowing position with the base sectionapproximately level with the upper deck.

11. In a deck edge elevator for an upper deck and a lower deck on a ship, a pair of guide rails, an elevator platform for serving the upper deck and the lower deck, said platform having a base platform section disposed on the guide rails and ahinged platform section mounted on the base platform section, a stowing power means for swinging the hinged platform section from its approximately horizontal position to a near vertical position, a plurality of hoisting cables for the base platform section, an engine for operating the hoisting cables in raising and-lowering the platform with the hinged platform section in either its horizontal position or its near vertical position, and guidesmounted on the upper deck for maintaining the hinged platform section in its near Vertical position while it and the base platform section are being raised or lowered "as a unit.

12. A deck edge elevator platform guide comprising, a casing, a pair of guide shafts slidably and horizontally mounted'inthe casing, a roller rotatably mounted on the outer end of each guide shaft, a shank mounted on the rear end of each guide shaft and provided with gear teeth in its one side, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in the casing for each shank, a gear wheel fixed on each verticalshaft and disposed in mesh with the gear teeth on the shank with which that shaft is associated, a crank arm fixed on the upper end of each vertical shaft, a handle slidably disposed in the outer end of each crank arm for turning that crank arm, a stop block disposed beneath each slidable handle for preventing rotation of the crank arm while the handle is in its lowermost position, a pair of cooperating cams for each crank arm,- one attached to the casing and the other attached to that crank arm for causing that crank arm to move out of the casing when it is rotated to move its guide roller to its service position and to permit it to move within the casing when the crank arm is rotated to move the roller to its non-service position, a switch mounted in the casing, a switch arm for operating the switch, means for biasing the switch arm to open switch position, a floating lever mounted 'in the casing with its outer portions disposed in engagement with the rear ends of the shanks, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted in the casing with onearm pivotally attached to the floating lever and its other arm disposed in engagement with the switch arm at the side opposite to that engaged by the-biasing means, whereby the switch arm will be held inits switch closed position by the shanks when the guide rollers are in their non-service position, and an adjustable bumper block mounted in the casing between the guide rollers toprovide a biu'nper for the edge of the platform.

13 A deck edge elevator platform guide comprising, a casing, a pair of guides slidably and horizontally mounted in parallel position in the casing for embracing an edge of the platform, a shank mounted on the rear end of each guide and 'provided with gear teeth in its one side, a gear turning that crank arm, a stop block in the casing for each slidable handle for preventing rotation of its crank arm while the handle is in its lower position, a cam means associated with each crank arm for causing that crank arm to rise out of the casing when it is rotated to move its guide rolleroutwardly and to permit the crank arm to sink within the casing when the crank arm is rotated to move the roller to its non service posi' tion, a switch mounted in the casing, a floating lever mounted in the casing with its outer portions disposed in engagement with the shanks, operating means connecting the lever with the switch whereby operation of either shank to move'its guide rollerto its service position will open the switch. I

14. 'A deck edge elevator platform guide com prising, a casing, a pair of guides slidably and horizontally mounted in parallel position in the casing for embracing an edge of the platform, a

shank mounted on the rear end of each guide and provided with gear teeth, a gear shaft rotatably mounted in the casing for each shank, a gear wheel fixed on each gear shaft and disposed in mesh with the gear teeth on the shank with which that shaft is associated whereby rotation of the shaft causes axial movement of the shank associated with it, a crank arm fixed on each gear shaft, a handle slidably disposed in the outer end of each crank arm for rotating that crank arm, a stop block mounted in the casing for each slidable handle to prevent sideway movement of it when it is in its lowermost position, and a pair of cooperating cams for each crank arm, one attached to the casing and the other attached to the crank arm, for causing that crank arm .to rise out of the casing when it is rotated to move its guide outwardly and to permit the crank arm to sink within the casing when the crank arm is rotated to move the guide to its non-service position.

15. A guide for the edge of a platform comprising a casing, a cylindrical shaft slidably mounted in the casing, a shaft guide mounted in the casing to engage a slot in the cylindrical shaft and thereby limit its outer movement and prevent its rotation, a guide roller rotatably mounted on the outer end of the guide shaft, a shank mounted on the rear end of the guide shaft, said shank having gear teeth out in its one side, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in the casing, a gear wheel fixed on the vertical shaft with its teeth in mesh with the teeth in the shank and of less width than the width of the teeth in the shank, a crank arm fixed on the upper end of the vertical shaft, a handle slidably disposed in the outer end of the crank arm for rotating the crank arm to move the guide roller outwardly and inwardly, a stop block mounted on the casing in position to engage the slidable handle and prevent rotation of the crank arm while the slidable handle is in its depressed condition, a circular body mounted in the casing concentric with the vertical shaft, a cam tooth mounted on the under face of the crank arm in cooperative relation with the cam mounted in the casing whereby rotation of the crank arm will cause the vertical shaft and its gear wheel to rise, a switch mounted in the casing, a switch arm for operating the switch, means for biasing the switch arm to open position, a floating lever having one end disposed in engagement with the shank, and lever means connecting the switch arm and the floating lever whereby movement of the shaft to its innermost position will cause the switch to close the movement of the shank to its outer position will release the floating lever and permit the biasing means to open the switch.

16. A guide for the edge of a platform comprising a casing, a guide shaft slidably mounted in the casing, a shank mounted on the rear end of the guide shaft, said shank having gear teeth out in its one side, a gear shaft rotatably mounted in the casing, a gear wheel fixed on the gear shaft with its teeth in mesh with the teeth in the shank and of less width than the width of the teeth on the shank, a crank arm fixed on the gear shaft, a handle slidably disposed in the outer end of the'crank arm for rotating the crank arm to move the guide outwardly and inwardly, a stop block mounted in the casing in position to engage the slidable handle and prevent rotation of the crank arm while the slidable handle is in its depressed condition, a circular body mounted in the casing concentric with the gear shaft, a cam tooth mounted on the under face of the crank arm in cooperative relation with the cam mounted in the casing whereby rotation of the crank arm to move the guide shaft outwardly will cause the gear shaft and its gear wheel to rise, a switch, and lever means responsive to movement of the shank for operating the switch when the guide shaft is moved to its service position.

1'7. A guide for the edge of a platform comprising a casing, a guide shaft slidably mounted in the casing, a shank mounted on the rear end of the guide shaft, said shank having gear teeth out in its side, a gear shaft rotatably mounted in the casing, a gear wheel fixed on the gear shaft and disposed in mesh with the teeth on the shank, a crank arm fixed on the gear shaft, a handle slidably disposed in the outer end of the crank arm for rotating the crank arm to move the guide shaft outwardly and inwardly, a stop block mounted on the casing in position to engage the slidable handle and prevent rotation of the crank arm while the slidable handle is in its depressed position, a circular cam body mounted in the casing concentric with the gear shaft, a cam tooth mounted on the under face of the crank arm in cooperative relation with the cam mounted in the casing whereby rotation of the crank arm to move the guide shaft outwardly will cause the ear shaft to rise.

18. A guide for the edge of a platform comprising a casing, a guide shaft slidably mounted in the casing, a shank mounted on the rear end of the guide shaft, said shank having gear teeth in its side, a gear shaft rotatably mounted in the casing, a gear wheel fixed on the gear shaft with its teeth disposed in mesh with the teeth on the shank, a crank arm fixed on the gear shaft, a handle slidably disposed in the outer end of the crank arm for rotating the crank arm to move the guide shaft outwardly and inwardly, a stop block mounted on the casing in position to engage the slidable handle and prevent rotation of the crank arm while the slidable handle is in its depressed position, and a pair of cooperating cams, one attached to the casing and the other attached to the crank arm, for causing the crank arm to move out of the casing.

19. In a deck edge elevator for an upper deck and a lower deck on a ship, a pair of guide rails, an elevator platform for serving the upper deck and-the lower deck, said platform having a base section movably disposed between the guide rails and an outboard folding platform section hingedly mounted on the base section, said platform sections having cooperating, projecting and receding portions on their adjacent sides below their hinged joint for assisting in supporting the folding platform section on the base section when the folding platform section is horizontally disposed, a plurality of hoisting cables for the base section, a stowing winch, a stowing cable operable by the stowing winch for folding the folding platform section on the base section, a snubbing winch, a snubbing cable operable by the snubbing winch for restraining the up movement of the folding platform section during a folding operation, and a, hoisting engine for operating the hoisting cables to raise or lower the platform during normal service or in a stowing operation.

JAMES DUNLOP. 

